My friend Kathryn recently joined a local non-profit board, on which I used to serve. She asked if for ideas for improvement, so I shared one. As a former board member, donor, and major supporter of the cause, it seems logical that I would receive frequent updates in the form of newsletters (online or in the mail), invitations to events, and other information. Because I do not, they are missing out on additional support—monetary and otherwise, that I could be providing, if only they were top-of-mind. As far as I know, they don’t even exist anymore!

This non profit organization’s outreach needs a lot of improvement. How about yours? How many supporters do you have who feel like I do? Who don’t hear from you enough?

As a non profit director or manager, you serve two masters (or mistresses, as the case may be!): your clients and your support base. To under serve either is a misstep. So, take a look at your outreach efforts:

• How often do your supporters hear from you? If it’s just once a year when you ask for a donation, consider increasing the frequency of your contact–and your message.
• How do your non profit’s supporters prefer to be contacted? You may be mailing printed newsletters to super-green folks who hate junk mail and wish you’d provide an online newsletter delivered to their email boxes.
• What are you sharing with your supporters? Believe it or not, they want to hear what you’re up to! Share success stories. Profile a client, employee, or volunteer who deserves praise. Communicate a particular need. You may be surprised at the response you receive!
• Are you saying “thank you?” If you let your supporters know that you appreciate their past support, they will be more likely to give again—whether it is of their time or their money.

What is your community saying about your charity? You can have thousands of fans and evangelists for your cause, who tell everyone they know about the work of your non profit origination, or you can have people who say nothing—because they simply don’t have any information to share. Give people something to talk about—keep your donors, volunteers, and former board members informed!

These days, nonprofits are more dependent on volunteers than ever. You probably cannot imagine running your nonprofit organization without them. So where do you go when you need new volunteers as a result of reduced staff, increased workload, or volunteer turnover?

Think technology! Check out these tools that can make this important task much easier:

1. Software: Volunteer Reporter is one software program you might try. It’s designed to help streamline volunteer management with reports, spreadsheets, templates, and other features, based on a powerful database model. Find the volunteer with the right skill set for a particular job in minutes, or prepare a custom report for a board meeting .The software’s online subscription service integrates with your website, and allows volunteers to log in from home to track hours, and you to post opportunities and accept applications online.

2. Newsletters: keep volunteers updated and informed with simple online newsletters. You can try a template-based online program, such as Constant Contact, for free, and if it works for you, pay a fee for ongoing use. Simply input your information, load your database of email addresses, and the newsletter is delivered instantly. Links to yours or other websites, photos, and interactivity are all part of Constant Contact’s offerings. Remember to ask volunteers for their email address so that you can add them to the list! Keep former volunteers engaged and encourage them to volunteer again with regular contact.

3. Register with an online volunteer database: Try VolunteerMatch or 1-800-Volunteer.  These services will help you get noticed and match your organization with appropriate volunteers in your area. You can easily match skills with needs, manage your volunteers, and compile reports through 1-800-Volunteer. And both services will put your organization’s name, mission, and needs in front of thousands of interested volunteers every day.

4. Use online classifieds: Think of Craigslist.org as a free online classifieds section of the newspaper. In fact, many newspapers’ classifieds sections are becoming increasingly skimpy, thanks to Craigslist’s emergence as the dominant place for buyers and sellers to meet. And, Craigslist is where employers and employees are finding each other, too. So take a cue from savvy employers and put your volunteers needed ad right where your potential volunteers will see it: Craigslist. It’s easy to get started, update, or delete your posting, so give it a try!

Using technology to recruit volunteers is easier, faster, and more effective than ever. Give these tips a try and you’ll see what we mean.

What is your nonprofit organization’s personality like? Is it pretentious, or welcoming? Will potential donors, staff, and volunteers think it’s stiff and formal, or casual and fun? More importantly, does the organization’s personality align with its mission and goals?

It is important to communicate your NPO’s personality in a way that resonatess with your targeted donors and supporters. The first place to analyze this piece of your communications strategy is your website—because that’s where most people will go to learn more.

Is your website content and design friendly or pretentious? Welcoming or chilly? Serious or upbeat? Determine what “voice” best matches your organization’s goals and its mission. Does the website content match that ideal voice? Or will visitors feel a disconnect between what they perceive about your organization and what is communicated on the website? Make sure your charity’s goals and needs are clearly communicated in a voice that matches your mission.

How easy is it to donate to your organization through your website? Will potential donors be turned off by too many steps and windows? Can visitors interact through comment boxes, easily sign up for a newsletter, or learn more about the organization? Are volunteers easily able to communicate their desire to help?

Picture your website visitors in your mind: are they happy and smiling, learning what they want to know, or are they frustrated and confused? You want them to think your organization has a good personality. You can help by ensuring the website is easy to navigate, that they clearly understand your purpose and needs, and that they can interact easily with your organization.

If your organization has a bad online personality, consider revamping your website.

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) dependent on federal and state funding to successfully serve their clients and community often have their hands full dealing with extensive laws and regulations.

One area frequently mandated by state and federal governments is background screening. If your organization provides day care or child care services, or in the course of providing services brings employees or volunteers into contact with minors or vulnerable adults, you may be required to perform background checks on all employees and volunteers.

Programs that use federal funds or are under federal contracts are required to conduct criminal background checks on both employees and volunteers. Additionally, many states require all of an organization’s employees and volunteers to undergo background criminal checks if any state funds are used by the organization.

To implement background screening, you must notify the potential volunteer that it will be performed. If your organization is subject to mandated screening, and does not already have a formal application procedure, you should implement one immediately. Have the potential volunteer give written consent by way of a signature on a notification page, ideally separate from the application.

Be sure to document everything! Each interaction with a potential volunteer, along with copies of background checks, credit checks, or criminal background checks, must be filed securely and preserved. You never know when you might need to prove that you took the proper steps to protect your clients and community members in your volunteer recruitment and placement efforts.

Your Non-profit organization (NPO) is likely covered by liability and property insurance. But what about your volunteers? They could harm or injure themselves or others while operating on the behalf of your organization, so your NPO might need additional coverage. How do you decide? 

Investing in additional insurance coverage depends on the types of services your organization provides, as well as the degree of risk involved. In today’s litigious society, there are higher rates of lawsuits across industry lines, including against not-for-profit organizations. Evaluate the risks and decide if the cost of insurance is worth the investment.

Laws differ on whether volunteers are liable for their actions when perform within the scope of the activity they have been assigned.  This means that an injured party could sue the NPO and the individual volunteer. The volunteer’s homeowner’s or automobile policies might be sufficient to cover them, or a blanket endorsement on the organization’s policy could name volunteers as “additional insureds.” 

If a volunteer is injured while working on behalf of your non profit, worker’s compensation coverage would provide relief in many—but not all—areas. Check your state’s laws to determine whether or not worker’s comp covers your volunteers. 

A dialogue with your insurance provider will shed light on any holes in your coverage. Be ready to describe your volunteers’ duties, whether or not they drive their own or the organization’s vehicles, their ages, and the number of hours they volunteer.